iDrink Pantjoran Tea House

Legacy of Captain Gan Djie

Pantjoran Tea House is the new, elegant, freshly coated face of Jakarta's Chinatown, inspired by the legendary Kapitein der Chinezeen. The captain and his wife welcomed weary travellers and merchants with a cup of tea and much-needed shade on the office porch. Their place became known as a little oasis in the bustle of Glodok.

Facelift

For many years, the building was a run-down Chinese pharmacy. Its current, revamped appearance is all thanks to investment from Konsorsium Kota Tua Jakarta, a program responsible for revitalising several historic properties in Jakarta's old town.

Healthy start

On offer is a fine selection of premium Chinese and Indonesian teas served in delicate porcelain bowls. The décor is a tasteful blend of minimalist modern Chinese design and contemporary artworks from the owner's private collection. For a healthy start to your walk, try their chrysanthemum tea (RP. 45.000), a flower-based infusion beverage well-known in East Asia as a medicinal tea.

Nice to know

Jl. Pancoran was originally called Molenvliet. There used to be a pump station at the corner of Jl. Gadjah Mada. This plant supplied drinking water to the old town and water for the fountains at Taman Fatahillah. Some say that the name Glodok came from the sound that water made when sprouting out; grojok, but the Chinese dialect speakers would pronounce it glodok instead. While Pancoran was said to originate from pancuran, which means 'shower'.